10 of the best toning shampoos for banishing brassy or red tints from hair

When toning shampoos first hit shelves years ago, it was beauty innovation at its best. Purple shampoos, as they’ve come to be known, were first introduced for women with silvering strands that were beginning to tinge yellow, according to hairstylist Eliut Rivera, who owns an eponymous salon in New York City’s Upper East Side. But soon after, they were adopted by blondes who wanted to kick the brass, and nowadays the whole “purple hair, don’t care” rallying cry can be heard even among those with darker lengths whose hair picks up red undertones that they’d prefer to be more neutral.

With the right bottle in your hands, you can save time and money while also seeing results in an instant. (And when you’re investing both of those in your hair color, that’s pretty much a win-win situation.) Below are 10 worth adding to your bathroom shelves, but before getting to them, here’s a little bit of background on how they work.

The science behind the purple shampoo will unsurprisingly take you all the way back to art class: Purple opposes yellow and orange on the color wheel, so when it’s incorporated into the hair, it helps to neutralize those colors so that hair doesn’t come off as brassy. “A purple shampoo is good for people who get double processed platinum hair,” says Rivera, who’s more skeptical about the effects for single-process blondes and brunettes. “However, there is purple shampoo that’s made specifically for blonde hair that prevents the color from getting brassy. In general, these formulas have chemicals that keep hair color from oxidizing, by avoiding the warmth of the base to come through.”

Oxidation is one of the main reasons that hair turns brassy. At a microscopic level, hair color molecules can lose an electron, which causes them to undergo a chemical reaction.

Oxidation is one of the main reasons that hair turns brassy. At a microscopic level, hair color molecules can lose an electron, which causes them to undergo a chemical reaction. You hear about oxidation in skin-care ingredients such as vitamin C, where clear formulas can morph into a brownish red hue when exposed to environmental aggressors. The same is true for your hair, which adopts a reddish-orange undertone.

Aside from oxidation, there are other things constantly at play when it comes to your hair, including environmental factors: the sun can work to fade your hair, and hard water, which holds tons of minerals, can latch onto hair and cause it to go brassy. Plus, the occasional dip in the swimming pool isn’t exactly a win for your lengths, either. Of course, this is where a purple shampoo is vital to keeping you out of the stylist’s chair every other week.

To deal, either introduce one into your shower routine, rotating it as necessary with your other haircare products. Or, if you’re washing less because you have platinum lengths, use it alone. “Purple shampoo should be used as any other shampoo, followed by conditioner,” Rivera tells me. (There are also purple conditioners, FYI, for those of you who prefer to co-wash.) Take care not to leave the formula on any longer than the package indicates. With that, you’re on your way to keeping your cool—one shampoo at a time.

Scroll down for 10 toning shampoos and conditioners that’ll help you shake off any semblance of brassiness and fully embrace the cool-toned life.